roths@dg-rtp.dg.com (Robert Rothschild) (02/13/90)
I just bought a new television. It has a jack for direct video input. I
would like to connect my Atari 800 to the television using that input.
I have a cable that I used for that purpose years ago. One one end, the
cable plugs into the Atari 800 monitor jack. The other end has 4 outputs
that look like standard audio/video connectors. They are yellow, black,
white, and red.
The only two which give any results are the yellow and black ones. The black
one works perfectly, it sends an audio signal to whichever audio input I attach
it to. The yellow one does send a video signal to the television. But the
picture is in black and white and appears to have other problems as well.
I know it worked perfectly, years ago.
Any ideas?
-Bob Rothschild roths@dg-rtp.dg.comgdtltr@peppermint.it.udel.edu (Gary Duzan) (02/13/90)
In article <10@xyzzy.UUCP> roths@dg-rtp.dg.com writes: =>I just bought a new television. It has a jack for direct video input. I =>would like to connect my Atari 800 to the television using that input. => =>I have a cable that I used for that purpose years ago. One one end, the =>cable plugs into the Atari 800 monitor jack. The other end has 4 outputs =>that look like standard audio/video connectors. They are yellow, black, =>white, and red. => =>The only two which give any results are the yellow and black ones. The black =>one works perfectly, it sends an audio signal to whichever audio input I attach =>it to. The yellow one does send a video signal to the television. But the =>picture is in black and white and appears to have other problems as well. =>I know it worked perfectly, years ago. => =>Any ideas? => The yellow one seems to be the Luma output. On certain monitors (like the Commie 1702) you can have the Chroma (color) and Luma (brightness) inputs on different plugs, which gives a better picture. It sounds like your cable might be messed up, or possibly a connection to the jack in the computer. Gary Duzan Time Lord Third Regeneration Atari Enthusiast Extreme gdtltr@freezer.it.udel.edu _o_ -------------------------- _o_ [|o o|] "My field is blood and guts programming." -- Me [|o o|] |_O_| "Don't listen to me; I never do." -- Doctor Who |_O_|
njd@cbnewsd.ATT.COM (nick.j.dimasi) (02/14/90)
In article <10@xyzzy.UUCP> roths@dg-rtp.dg.com writes: >[would like to connect his Atari 800 to a television using video input] >I have a cable that I used for that purpose years ago. One one end, the >cable plugs into the Atari 800 monitor jack. The other end has 4 outputs >that look like standard audio/video connectors. They are yellow, black, >white, and red. > >The only two which give any results are the yellow and black ones. The black >one works perfectly, it sends an audio signal to whichever audio input I attach >it to. The yellow one does send a video signal to the television. But the >picture is in black and white and appears to have other problems as well. > ..... I think I know what's happening (any 800/video gurus out there care to confirm and/or correct the following?): First: the 800 has (at its monitor jack) composite video (NTSC, at least in the USA) output and audio output. (I used to only have an 800 but it's cost-to-repair got too high, so off to K-Mart for a $99.95 800XL.) I think that the audio is the same pin (on the DIN jack/plug) for all the 8-bits, if so that explains why any 8-bit-Atari-compatible monitor cable will give you audio. Second: Your video cable sounds a lot like one that has, instead of _composite video_, what I call "split chroma/luma" video. The "luma" [luminance] signal [same idea as Graphics "luminance"] is brought out separately from the "chroma" [chrominance] signal [same idea as "hue" I think]. This kind of cable is what us 8-bit users who have a 130XE (I don't know about the 65XE, but I don't know anyone personally who has one) or an XL with the chroma signal brought out (a simple h/w mod.) use to see the highest-resolution COLOR display that those computers can put out (using a monitor like the Commodore 1702 or 1802, Technika[sp?] <whatever-model-#>, etc.). The only flaw here is that your cable has _four_ plugs. Maybe one of them is supposed to be composite video; but if so, and if the connection was good (and the cable is wired properly - sorry but I don't have the 800's pinouts, at least not here at work), you should be OK. Third: Your Atari 800 (as you may have inferred from the above) _does not_ put out split chroma/luma (unless it has been modified to do that, much more complicated than for an XL I think). So again, you need a cable for plain vanilla composite video. (These used to be available at any 8-bit-anything computer dealer, even like discount stores...) I hope this helps! Nick DiMasi Uniq Digital Technologies, Inc. ...clout!udt386!nick (not currently read often) (Internet reg. pending) ...att!odutsa!njd (READ WEEKDAYS) DELPHI: TURBONICK | DON'T USE R/r (reply command)!!! | under contract to AT&T Network Systems | (Network Software Ctr., Lisle, IL)
CURRENTM@CARLETON.EDU (Michael Current) (02/15/90)
In the article <13178@cbnewsd.ATT.COM> Nick DiMasi gives an explanation of the chroma and luma outputs of the Atari XE's. What I found surprising to read was that the 800 has no split chroma/luma output. I've always had the general impression that every XE/XL/800 EXCEPT the XE Game System has the separate video outputs, including my 130XE and my family's 800. Maybe somebody else can confirm this. I believe that all but the XE GS have five outputs at the monitor jack: audio, composite video, composite chroma and composite luma. (And the XE GS has just audio and comp. video.) To address the original question, I agree that it sounds like the yellow connector is the luma, and the black obviously the audio. Either the white or the red should be the composite video, which is what we're after. Hope this helps. -Michael Michael Current / currentm@carleton.edu
jwt@atari.UUCP (Jim Tittsler) (02/21/90)
CURRENTM@CARLETON.EDU (Michael Current) writes: >In the article <13178@cbnewsd.ATT.COM> Nick DiMasi gives an explanation of the >chroma and luma outputs of the Atari XE's. What I found surprising to read >was that the 800 has no split chroma/luma output. The 800 does indeed have separate chroma and luminence outputs (on pins 5 and 1 respectively). The 400 only provides modulated RF output. Jim Tittsler, Systems Engineer, Atari Corp
njd@cbnewsd.ATT.COM (nick.j.dimasi) (02/22/90)
In article <2045@atari.UUCP> jwt@atari.UUCP (Jim Tittsler) writes: >CURRENTM@CARLETON.EDU (Michael Current) writes: > >>In the article <13178@cbnewsd.ATT.COM> Nick DiMasi [me] gives an explanation >>of chroma and luma outputs of the Atari XE's. What I found surprising to read >>was that the 800 has no split chroma/luma output. >The 800 does indeed have separate chroma and luminence outputs (on pins 5 >and 1 respectively). The 400 only provides modulated RF output. > >Jim Tittsler, Systems Engineer, Atari Corp Oops, I goofed on the 800 this time (I don't even have one anymore). But I'm pretty sure about the 800XL not having chroma output - at least, that is what I've read (in this newsgroup among other places), and _my_ 800XL does not have chroma (unless it comes out on a strange pin - the pinouts for the 800XL and 130XE are supposed to be the same, except that the chroma signal isn't really there). I'm still looking for the info on the 800XL chroma mod. (I know I have it on a tape, but I have yet to try reading that tape over here ...) If someone else has it handy, please post/mail it - meanwhile I'll keep looking (at least one 8-bitter out there asked me for it). As I recall, it is mostly (if not entirely) the addition of a proper resistor between something (a transistor?) on the board and the output pin... Nick DiMasi Uniq Digital Technologies, Inc. nick@udt386.chi.il.us (the ".us" might be ".com" instead) [I'm not there much] ...att!odutsa!njd [I'm on here a lot] | Delphi: TURBONICK | DON'T USE R/r (reply command) unless | under contract to AT&T Network Systems you change the address! | (Network Software Ctr., Lisle, IL)
slackey@bbn.com (Stan Lackey) (02/24/90)
Actually, what I would like to do is connect the XEP80 output to a PC- style 8 pin TTL monitor input. I think it's close; the monitor I have lables the pins accordingly: Red input Green input Blue input Intensity Horiz. sync or composite sync Vertical sync Video ground Sync ground not in that order. My first impression was to connect the grounds together and connect them to the XEP80 ground, and take the signal and put it in both the horiz sync/composite sync input, and the intensity input. I first tried it with the standard (color) signal from the Atari. I got an very light image, somewhat stable, but I'm not sure if the image I got was just being picked up from the sync; I'm not sure if the Intensity input was doing anything at all. I then disconnected the Atari and connected the XEP. The screen was just black. I tried moving the signal from intensity to say red, and still got a black screen. Any suggestions? -Stan
Metalist@cup.portal.com (Bryan Jones Woodworth) (02/27/90)
What is so important about having a Chroma output? Could someone tell me? Hoplessly in the dark, Metalist